Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-10-20
ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.
The Art OF Making Thorn Nearing

The Art OF Making Them Nearing
Perfection.
~ wouldn't exactly say" remarked
a manufacturer, "that people can get
along as well with artificial limbs as
they can with artificial teeth, but the art
or industry is fast approaching that
stage Of perfection. Men and women
can cat and drink. play the violin.
write, and do various kinds OF light
| work with artificial arms and hands,
and they can dance, skate and run with
artificial legs.
'rhe proportion of those whose
misfortunes require the use OF artificial
limbs is about ono in 10000 of tho
population OF these, % to 80 per cent
are women. OF the limbs lost, the
legs are in the large NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
70 per cent
"A great many are under the i'm
preston that the war made most of the
cripples now living. The fact is that
for one person who lost limb in tho
war twenty to twenty-four lost theirs
through some accident on the rail
ways, or in some other manner entire
" disconnected from warfare. The
railroad is the great source of our BUSH
ness, probably one-half the cases that
come to us being attributed to railway
accidents.
II suppose" said the reporter, "that
you meet with some queer incidents in
the course of your business P''
Yes. remember n customer COM
ing to me not long ago for his second
artificial leg. He has worn the first
for a number Of years. He said that
he was in much trouble of mind. He
was going to get married. and had
been counting his intended for year
and n half, and she did not know but
that he was entirely sound The ques-
ton in his mind was whether to tell
her before or wait until after marriage
advised him to inform her before
hand, rs otherwise she might have legal
ground to apply for an annulment of
the marriage on the ground Of decep-
ton. He told me afterward that
he followed my advice, and the
lady concluded that she loved him none
the less on account OF his misfortune
Another singular inc dent but of n
different character. was in connection
with the coils on of two steamers, one
of which had just started from this
port TO Europe, and had to put back
again on account of the damage. None
of the passengers were injured by the
accident, and friend jokingly remark
ed in my presence that l would no
doubt be greatly disappointed that there
was no loss Of limb. as would there
fore got no revenue from the occurrence.
Strangely enough. the day follow NC a
man from Ohio walked into my office
and said he wanted an artificial leg.
He related that he had been a pas.
senger on the steamer which had to put
having started from his home in Ohio
TO pay visit to Europe. When the
vessel returned to port ho concluded.
on reflection. to give up h s European
trip and TO expend the money he had
reserved for the trip in providing him.
self with new art fetal leg in place Of
the one which he then wore So it
seems that the collision OF those two
steamers brought business after ALL"
WHO supply limbs for the soldiers9"
The business is distributed among
different manufacturers. nearly il not
all in the large cites OF the Atlantic
coast. No union soldier who has lost a
limb in the war need be without an
artificial one. Northern manufacture
ers also supply good many artificial
limbs to confederate veterans on the
orders of states Of the south that have
made provision for the manned of the
lost cause; but 4 great many Of the
southern veterans are unprovded,
for the reason that the appropriations
for their relief are not sufficiently fire.
quent and adequate.
"Of private eases, do the greater
number come from the city or countr, p'
Il think the dangers of city and
country life are about even. so far as
the artilicial-limb trade is an indicator.
The mowing-machine is fair set-off to
tie horse-cars. "--New York Sun.